Slow reaction times could be linked to early death

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Volunteers were tested by sitting in front of a computer screen and pushing a button when the number zero appeared.

January 29, 2014 4:39:16 PM PST

Do you feel like you need a little more snap? That could be a bad sign. Some researchers now say lack of alertness appears to be as dangerous for your health as smoking, and could be a sign of early death.

The study was done by researchers f rom Glasgow and Edinburgh universities and University College London, using the reaction time tests of more than 5,000 Americans. The tests, done by those from age 20 to 59, showed that men and women with slower reaction times were at higher risk of dying young, and even those participants in their 20s and 30s were at risk.

Volunteers were tested by sitting in front of a computer screen and pushing a button when the number zero appeared. Those with slower responses were determined 25 percent more like to die over the next 15 years.

Scientists theorize that the slower brain responses may be an indicator of overall physical health, or could indicate another illness. A simpler link to to death risk could include being less alert and therefore at greater risk for acccidents.